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From
the FCN Admin:This
is the "bible" of contemporary craft in the US today. Published
6 times per year, by the American Craft Council, American Craft magazine
celebrates the excellence of contemporary craft, focusing on masterful
achievements in the craft media---clay, fiber, metal, glass, wood and
other materials---with the goal to create intellectual and visual interest
for the reader on today's craft. Artist profiles and exhibition reviews
are the principal features in each issue, complemented with a medley of
editorial sections that include a "Craft World" news roundup,
reviews in "Books," a pictorial "Gallery" of exhibitions
across the country, short reviews of solo shows in "Focus,"
a "Portfolio" of rising talent, and reports of "Commissions"
to artists and "Acquisitions" of their work into museum or institutional
collections. A nationwide "Calendar" and news about the American
Craft Council are part of every issue. Galleries
are major advertisers in the magazine, creating a vivid picture of the
craft marketplace. Leading education centers also advertise in American
Craft.

Reviews:Ingram
The curator of Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery set out in 1972 to establish
craft as a form equal to painting and sculpture to heighten public appreciation
of objects made of metal, fiber, wood, clay and glass. "Skilled Work"
celebrates the work of modern crafts, highlighting the works of renowned
artists. .
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Skilled
Work: Bravo!, September 28, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Boston, MA
This is an exceptionally beautiful book, with fabulous color photographs
of the handiwork of American artisans. All different types of crafts
are represented: weaving, glasswork, metalwork, and more. The book is
very well written and designed. If you are at all interested in American
crafts, this book is a must!

Reviews:The
evolution of the contemporary crafts movement is one of the outstanding
art world developments of the latter half of the twentieth century. In
this sumptuous book, with more than 200 stunning color photographs especially
created for this publication, the best of contemporary crafts is celebrated,
with sections on glass, ceramic, wood, fiber, and metal. Drawn from the
unparalleled collection of Dorothy and George Saxe-widely acclaimed as
one of the premier collections of contemporary crafts in the United States-the
objects pictured form a glorious survey of this exciting and innovative
field

Almost
as good as being there, March 3, 2000
Reviewer: Stephen Holmes from Melbourne, Australia
A fine book with excellent production values and fine photography. It
will be a great momento of my visit and comfort me to know that there
are great people who support artists and help keep the barbarians from
the gate!

Reviews:From Publishers
Weekly
Master knife makers, wood craftsmen, basket makers, ceramics and textiles
designers, glassblowers, surfboard and dogsled makers, metalsmiths and
a host of other artisans have their day in Objects for Use: Handmade by
Design, edited by Paul J. Smith, director emeritus of the American Craft
Museum...

PAUL SMITH REALLY "GETS IT", September
24, 2001
Reviewer: DOUG ANDERSON (see more about me) from Palm Beach, Florida USA
Paul Smith really "gets it" and you should run out and buy this
book immediately.......wait a minute, you don't have to do that anymore,
it's "1-click" away. Stop reading. Buy it now.

"Objects
for Use, Handmade by Design" provides a quick, gorgeous overview
of what is best about the field of American Craft. From things for the
top of the table to the table itself. From a music stand to a Steinway
piano encased by Wendell Castle. From a gorgeous kyack to a surfboard.
Well crafted, beautifully designed objects for use. Paul Smith was the
man who put the American Craft Museum on the map...the man who made
it relevant....and he's done it again.

Book
Review:From
Library Journal
Woodworking writers (and Furniture Society members) Kelsey and Mastelli
offer here a mix of the cultural, philosophical, historical, and practical
issues of creative furniture design. Their large-format, glossy, lavishly
illustrated (in color) book highlights everything from individual craftspeople
to the art of collecting, and more--everything, that is, except technical
issues, which are virtually ignored. The interplay of patron and artisan
is also a major theme. Topics are covered in 14 articles; examples of
creative furniture design are displayed throughout the book as well
as in three stand-alone, gallery-like chapters. And even though the
essays don't refer back to each other, the patchwork of chapters makes
for an interesting whole.

Publisher Comments:
No one will say that furniture is ordinary after seeing this exciting
collection of writings and photos that features contemporary studio
furniture. Today the art and craft of making fine furniture has grown
and regained its place at the heart of the functional arts. This richly
layered anthology of provocative essays, inquisitive articles, and stunning
images portrays contemporary studio furniture at its very best. You'll
learn about designing, making, and living with studio furniture, as
well as how to buy pieces that will enhance your home.*

Book
Review:From
Library Journal
Woodworking writers (and Furniture Society members) Kelsey and Mastelli
offer here a mix of the cultural, philosophical, historical, and practical
issues of creative furniture design. Their large-format, glossy, lavishly
illustrated (in color) book highlights everything from individual craftspeople
to the art of collecting, and more--everything, that is, except technical
issues, which are virtually ignored. The interplay of patron and artisan
is also a major theme. Topics are covered in 14 articles; examples of
creative furniture design are displayed throughout the book as well
as in three stand-alone, gallery-like chapters. And even though the
essays don't refer back to each other, the patchwork of chapters makes
for an interesting whole.

Book
Description
An exploration of the life and work of America's most distinguished
craftsman. Sam Maloof (born 1916) is revered for both the beauty and
the integrity of his furniture and his pioneering role in the American
craft movement. The ravishing examples in this book trace Maloof's remarkable
career in woodworking from his humble beginnings to his position today
as America's most celebrated furniture designer and craftsman. 200 color
illustrations.

Work of a genius, October 23, 2001
Reviewer: Ramaswamy Hari from San Jose, CA United States
When I started woodworking as a hobby about 11 years ago one of the
books I first came across in a library was "Sam Maloof". I
consider Sam Maloof to be a genius. When I heard that there is a new
book out about Sam Maloof I couldn't wait to get a hold of it. The book
"The Furniture of Sam Maloof" is a very nice and detailed
life story of the woodworking genius and (my guru) with a lot of details
about his excellant work. This book is so precious to me that I wont
even let anybody in my family put a fingerprint on it. I could easily
say that no other person has made such a profound impression on me than
Sam Maloof.

From
Book News, Inc.
A paper reprint of the 1983 edition with the same high quality color
and b&w photos that distinguished the exquisite original.

The New York Times
"... handles prose with the same clear, natural manner with which
he applies a chisel to a walnut board."

Most excellent book. A must have for any woodworker!, November 23, 1998
Reviewer: riftsawn@yahoo.com from Cerritos, California
Sam Maloof is a world treasure. His book reflects his passion and skill
as a master. Sam's book is not written in a pompous manor but in a matter
of fact point of view. Sam shares his life with us and puts it on paper...
Reading this book, you will learn something about philosophy, Spirituality
and some woodworking along the way

From
Library Journal
Most woodworking books show one how to make things. Krenov's, on the
other hand, suggests why someone should make them. This title, featuring
work by both Krenov and his students at the College of the Redwoods,
illustrates his philosophy of design and craft without being bogged
down by the pretentiousness that such books frequently exhibit. His
work, and that of his students, exhibits an aesthetic beauty that is
rarely seen (the vivid color photographs are superb and do justice to
their fine work). Krenov inhabits the highest level of the woodcraft
pantheon now in his 80s he continues to teach and create incredible
work

Book
Description
Comprehensive color survey of a great furniture artist; influence on
Studio Craft movement.

Publisher
Comments:
This monograph presents the extraordinarily inventive and influential
furniture/sculpture of Wendell Castle, trailblazer in the Studio Craft
movement and catalyst in the development of handcrafted furniture as
a major art form. Here are Castle's most important and innovative works
in color, including clocks and trompe l'oeil pieces. 60 color plates

From The Critics
Booknews
A catalogue for a 2001 exhibition at the American Craft Museum, New
York from January to April and the Museum of California, Oakland, from
June to September. Accompanying the color photographs are essays on
philosophizing with a hammer and the urban cowboy as furniture maker.
Bennett's furniture is known for its unexpected shapes and combinations
of color and material. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Click
HERE for more about this book

NOTE:
as of 1/20/03 Out of Stock for all 3 partners. We will update
if it becomes available.

Synopsis:
This book presents a collection of superb work from 36 eminent British
professional designer-makers, and it highlights the best of hand-built
furniture that has been commissioned by corporate and private clients
from around the world. It contains 420 color photographs that display
the quality and craftsmanship of designers of uncompromising standards
that set them apart from the blandness that overwhelms so much of today's
furniture design. This visual feast is an essential reference for interior
designers, furniture historians, and students of design, as well as
for those who delight in the superb craftsmanship of the finest contemporary
furniture makers.

From
the Publisher
Boxes, cabinets, chests, cupboards, desks, and sideboards-this volume
showcases one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces designed and constructed
by today's emerging and established furniture makers and artists. This
exhibition catalog illustrates the many ways in which thirty-seven contemporary
artists approach case furniture, a traditional form that is being constantly
defined and redefined. This simultaneously utilitarian and aesthetic
art form permits artists, from traditional to avant-garde, to express
their own visions.
Essayists and guest curators for the exhibition, Thomas Loeser and Virginia
T. Boyd, present the artist's and scholar's perspectives on contemporary
decorative arts and discuss the themes underlying the exhibition. An
overview of the development of studio furniture over the past decade
by decorative arts scholar Glenn Adamson provides a recent historical
context for the pieces in the exhibition.